The Importance of Gathering Around the Table with Family

When I was in college, my suitemates and I had a weekly family dinner. We all had crazy schedules and could easily go without seeing each other for a week at a time, if we weren't intentional about being at family dinner. It turned into one of my favorite parts of the week and some of my greatest memories from college are from around that table, eating with friends.

Those dinners completely shaped my mentality on the importance of having dinner?together. Luckily, I grew up in a home where we ate dinner together almost every night and I can count the nights eating in front of the TV on a hand or two.

Since moving back to Arizona, where my entire family lives, family dinners have returned again. For almost the first whole year we lived here, we would go to my grandparents house for dinner weekly. At the time, my great grandmother was still alive, and never knowing how much longer we'd have with her, we made those dinners a priority.

Now that we have settled into our new lives here, we don't go see my grandparents every week, but we do like to get together a few times a month. One of the most vivid memories from my childhood when we would come visit my grandparents over holidays is the great food we were sure to eat. Now that we live in the same state, we're always looking for new places to eat at with my grandparents.

A few months ago, they told us about a new place that they had found and couldn't stop raving about. So, naturally, we had to try it one time when we went over for dinner.

We went back a few weeks ago to catch up with my grandparents, who absolutely love getting to see how quickly Greyson grows from week to week that they see him. We had a blast eating dinner at Uberrito, where we each could create our own concept for a burrito, nachos, or bowl depending on what sounded best. Each of us got something totally different, which is always one of my favorite parts of going out to eat.

My grandfather and I both opted for burritos, but he chose a jalape?o cheddar tortilla, ground beef and Spanish rice while I had a traditional flour tortilla with chicken and cilantro-lime rice. My grandmother got a bowl, which we all decided was a great portion size, though my grandfather and I still both happily finished our burritos. Steven got nachos, which was my alternate choice to the burrito. I'll definitely be trying those the next time we go! I think I could go every day for a week straight and get something totally different each day, which I love. I'm pretty habitual about my food- I know what I like. But restaurants like Uberrito are perfect for branching out and trying new flavor combinations.

Conversations slow down around the table. It's not a quick text checking in, or even a 15 minute phone call while you're driving home. Conversations around the table have no timeline. I can recall countless times around the table where the conversation continued long after the food was gone. Those are the lasting memories I have with friends and family around the table.

I've always said that the food itself is not the important part of being around the table. I mean, I'm all for good food, trust me. But the food is just what initially brings you to the table. The friends, family and conversation is what keeps you there.

I may have grown up far away from my grandparents but I am so thankful to be able to watch Greyson grow up close to them. These moments around the family dinner table will surely be the ones we treasure and remember as Greyson grows up.

If you're near an Uberrito or traveling somewhere with one, you have to check it out! Follow along on their social media, too, for promotions and general drool worthy photos.

How do you make meal time around the table important for your family?